Arrange Me Not
by NowImNoLongerConnectedToThis
Summary: Princess Zelda of Hyrule and Prince Link of Faron have been friends for as long as they can remember. However when their parents inform them that they are to be married on Zelda's eighteenth birthday the two have differing opinions on the matter. Not set in any games, Arranged-marriage AU, Royalty!Link AU (Cross-posted from Ao3)
1. Zelda's Thoughts

So tedious and unfair. In a foul mood, Zelda sulked in the frame of her window gazing gloomily out to the royal court. It was just like her parents to pull a stunt like this, is she not already the perfect princess? She always listens to her tutors and elders, always behaves far above her age of fourteen. Letting out another huff, Zelda slides down from her spot on the windowsill and slips out of her grandiose room. Weaving down the halls, the princess ducks in alcoves and behind tapestries as she evades capture by her nursemaid or anyone who may try to stop her and send her back to the confines of her rooms.

Fleeing from the stone halls of the castle, Zelda skids into the garden, her feet sliding on the freshly watered grass. Catching herself on her hands, she picks herself back up and continues her race to a quiet, overlooked area of the garden, covered by a large expansive tree. Using small gauges in the trunk, the princess climbs up to a small platform nestled in the large canopy of the tree. Impa had helped her construct this oasis five summers ago when her mother had passed. Since that time Zelda only completed a trip to this personal space when she was well and truly upset, and goddesses was she upset.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Zelda gazed out upon the garden she loved so dearly. In her opinion her duties as the princess had gone too far now.

}-{

Earlier that afternoon her father, the King of Hyrule, had called her to the throne room, a strange request in itself. Walking into the expansive room, Zelda noted the entire royal court of advisors was seated in front of her father, who himself was seated at the head of the men. Zelda's mind had immediately begun spinning, trying to conjure any incident that might require her reprimand, or perhaps she had forgotten a festival that was upcoming and they would like her to act as the princess to the public of Hyrule. Many different scenarios ran through Zelda's mind, however her answer was nowhere near the answer her father provided.

"Zelda, dear, I want to discuss a matter of utmost importance with you", Zelda approached her father and took his outstretched hand as he spoke.

"I will do anything Father, I am sure you know this", the weathered man face smiled softly at his young daughters words.

"I am well aware my dear princess, however I also know you will have reservations to what I am about to say and I wish that you will hear me out,"

Zelda cocked her head, puzzled, "Of course Father,"

"Well dear daughter do you remember Queen Saria of the Faron Kingdom?"

"Of course, she and her son visit regularly, although the prince can be annoying at times, you would think he fancies himself the Legendary Hero the way he carries on at times," the King grimaced at Zelda's words, glancing tactfully away at the mention of the Faron Prince.

"Well Prince Link is actually what I brought you here to talk about," the royal court started nodding their heads, Zelda scanning the room in confusion, her father refusing to meet her eyes, " You see dear Zelda, since your birth the Faron Queen, and your mother and I had made an agreement. On your eighteenth birthday the Faron Kingdom would join and become a part of Hyrule."

"But why would Queen Saria agree to this? Why my eighteenth birthday? What does this have to do with prince?" the King placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder as a way to silence her before her questions over-rode his own voice.

"Zelda the fact that the Faron Queen and Prince visit regularly is not a coincidence. On your eighteenth birthday you are to wed Prince Link," Zelda's eyes flew wide, wrenching her hand from her fathers she stumbled back a bit.

"WHY FATHER?" Zelda shouted before taking a breath and composed herself, "Father I do not wish to marry the Prince. He-"

"Are you not friends with Prince Link?" her father cut over her words.

"Well …yes" Zelda conceded before her father cut over her words once again.

"Then what is the problem then daughter?" Zelda clenched her fists, she could feel her face growing hot with anger.

"There is a difference between being friendly with someone and wanting to marry them! I absolutely do _not_ wish to marry Prince Link, and that will not change father. Just you watch!' and with her final outburst, the young princess had swept from the room.

}-{

Alone she now sat in her tree, thinking over her parents and Queen Saria's decisions. No doubt Link would not be any happier about the arrangement. The idiot was always claiming that he was going to explore the world and defeat any enemy that he faced and never become King, to the numerous eye rolls of his mother. Link was the complete opposite of Zelda and that's what made them such good _friends_ , no more than that.

However Zelda herself could not ignore the fact that if she were to be married, would it not be better that she married someone she already knew? Rationality was not in her good graces however as she scratched at the wood. Her mind raced through terrible scenarios of Link hating her, and an unhappy marriage… an unhappy life. She was fourteen for Nayru's sake! She shouldn't be needing to worry herself on marriage just yet. It did not stop the fact that Zelda had always wanted to marry for love, not for the love of her kingdom, but for the love shared between her and another. But this was not the way of a princess, a fact that dug a hole into Zelda's heart.

Movement called Zelda's attention to the ground. Below, her nursemaid was leant against the tree, gazing up towards the princess.

"Princess Zelda, your father has sent me to tell you that Queen Saria and Prince Link of the Faron Kingdom are to arrive for a visit in two weeks' time. He hopes you will be cordial at this meeting." The loud frustrated yell of the princess echoed through the castle grounds as Impa walked back to the castle under the watchful gaze of Zelda. The young girl fell back to her tree floor and resisted the urge to scream once again as the thought of two weeks times came to her mind.

She was never usually bothered by the news that the Faron Queen and Prince were visiting, in fact usually it was quite the opposite. Zelda only really counted two people she knew to be friends, and that was Prince Link and Princess Hilda of Lorule, though she saw Hilda far less than Link.

To be honest, the thought of marrying Link didn't not seem as condemning as it should have been, but the princess banished this thought from her mind before she could dwell upon it. Sitting up, Zelda hiked her dress between her legs before shimmying down the trunk, hitting the ground with a dull thud, the princess dusted off her dress before waltzing inside the palace with her head held high, ignoring the looks of surprise on the guards face at her sudden appearance.

Feet taking an automatic route, Zelda once again found herself in her room. Sitting at her desk, she pulled out clean paper and a writing quill before setting the pen to the paper.

 _Prince Link of Faron,_

 _By the time you read this I am sure that you know of the ridiculous agreement our parents have made-_


	2. Link's Thoughts

Shimmying along the branch, Links fingers hook into the crooks and knots of the tree. Out on the very end, a cucco is perched, staring him dead in the eyes as if taunting him. Gritting his teeth, the prince bites back a growl as he slips and his face meets the bark hard. Trying to push himself back up, his hands slip once again. Quickly wrapping his legs around the branch, Links falls and hangs upside down from the tree, hands dangling down towards the ground. Craning his neck, the green clad prince aims his most venomous glare towards the bird, insults spewing from his mouth as he tries to reach back up onto the branch. Making a a noise akin to laughing, the cucco hops closer, its beady eyes peering over at Link as he continues his tirade, and his attempts to scramble back up onto the branch. Just as he feels as though he has righted himself, the prince's legs give out, and grasping at anything, Link grabs the bird and the two go careening to the ground.

A loud noise echoes through the garden. Guards turn to see the young prince come stomping through, his golden hair full of sticks and mud, the boy looking as if he just went twenty rounds.

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"Link whipped around to the guard that had spoken with a red hot anger in his eyes.

"No, in fact I will not be until every cucco in this land is THROTTLED," and with that the prince continued his hot march to the fairy garden, the sounds of the guards snickers echoing behind him.

Pushing open the heavy ornate door, Link strode over and took a knelt position beside his mother as she spoke quietly with her fairy Neta. Watching the fairies fly around chasing one another always helped to calm Link, ever since he was small. When he would become sad or overwhelmed, coming and playing with the fairies always helped to put his mind at ease. A loud high pitched hello echoed through the garden and a bright blue blur tackled Link to the ground. Laughing, Link sat back up nuzzling his beloved Navi before ushering her to play with the others as his mother lightly tapped his shoulder.

"What are you doing in here Link? I thought a hero such as yourself should never be seen playing with airy fairies?" Link brightened as he peered at his mother's teasing expression, the bell laughter of the fairies ringing his ears.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Link tried to sit straighter, "Mother you know that's not fair to keep bringing that up. I was only 5!"Queen Saria smirked down at her son as she rose, the prince following suit.

"I remember quite clearly my son, your feathers are merely too easily ruffled."

"Speaking of feathers I want cuccos banned!" The queen spun back to look at Link.

"You can't possibly be serious,"

"I definitely am mother," Link crossed his arms and glared straight at his mother.

"Are you sure this not just you taking your feelings out on anything that crosses your path my son?" Link cursed his mother and her impeccable sense of detecting exactly what was always wrong with him.

He followed his mother through the stone and glass garden hallways in silence before he gained the courage to speak up.

"I received a letter from Princess Zelda the other day mother," Saria raised an eyebrow as she gazed down at her son.

"And?"

"It seems that she shares my sentiment in this idiotic scheme of yours and the King of Hyrule,"

"Come now Link, I feel you are not giving the idea a chance. You like Princess Zelda do you not?"Link rubbed his hand across his face and up into his hair.

"Yes mother, I do like Zelda as a _friend_ , nothing more. I certainly do not want to be married to my best friend!"

"I still think you are not seeing the benefits," The queen shared a knowing look with her son, his face brightening as she turned and continued down the hallway.

"M-Mother!" Link spluttered, stumbling to keep up with his mother, "I do not _like_ Zelda that way! Trust me please." The queen gave an unbelieving hum.

"We shall see in the next week shouldn't we my son?" Link narrowed his eyes at his mother as she disappeared into her room with a cheerful goodbye. Link was sure that his mother was losing her mind. Yes, it was true that _maybe_ at one point he may have liked Zelda in that way, but it was not the case now. Adjusting his long green cap, the prince shoved his hands into his tunic pockets, and trudged back to his room.

In a week he will have to spend two weeks 'courting' his best friend in what is to be the worst idea their parents had ever concocted. It's not like they are doing it to combine the lands; Faron and Hyrule have been so closely intertwined with friendship for so many millennia, that many forget that they are in fact two different kingdoms. And with Zelda and him being as close as they are, it's not like that will change any time soon.

}-{

A sharp slap woke Link from his slumber where he had fallen face first into his suitcase. Looking up with a glare, he spied his sister darted out of the room giggling. Repressing the urge to go racing after her, Link shook the last dregs of sleep from his brain and finished packing his clothes, a chore Link had insisted he do himself ever since his cap had been left behind once on a month long trip.

Sighing, Link dragged his luggage nosily through the halls, to where his mother was standing speaking with Mido, the royal advisor who would be looking after the kingdom while his mother was away. Pulling a face and rude gesture at Mido from behind his mothers back, and seeing the asshole advisors eye twitch, helped to settle Links nerves. Nothing quite made Link happy as fast as annoying Mido did. The guards quickly packed the luggage and soon Link and his mother were waving to his sister and her nurse from their transport.

Anxiety gnawed at Links inside as they finally began their long trip to Hyrule. Twisting the end of his cap between his fingers, he looked at the quickly passing forest to try to calm his nerves before they reached Hyrule castle. He had never been this nervous before travelling to meet the princess, yet with what they are being forced to do, his stomach is churning like rough seas.

"You worry too much," Link whipped his head around to glare at his mother.

"I worry just the right amount thank you very much,"

"Oh please you practically grew up with the Hyrule royal family. You two used to run around as small children playing 'Legendary Hero'. My son, you two still write to each other at least once a week," Link planted his chin in the palm of his hand and watched as the forest began to melt away into the expansive Hyrule Field that spanned across the entire Kingdom of Hyrule.

"But mother that was before you and the King decided that it was a brilliant idea to have us marry each other when Zelda turns eighteen! I'm only fourteen Mother!" Saria sighed and she tucked her short green hair behind her ear before leaning toward her son.

"I understand that you feel that it is a silly idea, but in the circumstances of the surrounding kingdoms, the Hyrulean King and I felt that it would be best for the two of you to be betrothed to each other. Would you rather be betrothed to Princess Ruto of the Zora?" The queen smiled as she saw a shiver run up the spine of the green clad boy. Yet she continued,

"It is not uncommon my son. Your cousin, Lord Ravio, is bethrothed to Princess Hilda and you don't hear him complaining,"

"That because he's too much of a wuss," Link muttered beneath his breath, earning himself a tight look from his mother.

"Just think it over properly Link"

}-{

The sound of wood clacking woke Link from his slumber as the carriage pulled its way across the gate bridge and into Castle Town. Groaning internally the prince peered out at the townspeople going about their lives, many smiling and waving happily at them as they passed. The nerves returned stronger than ever as the carriage pulled past the Temple of Time and made its way up to the castle. Sinking into his seat, Link slid down till it was impossible to spy him from the outside. Shoving his beloved green hat onto his head, the prince rolled and pressed his face into the seat, trying to block the situation from his mind.

A heavy jolt, accompanied with a light cuff of a hand to the back of his head indicated that they had arrived. A loud voice announced his mother and himself to the procession that already had full knowledge of who exactly was in the carriage. Sitting straight, his mother pulled his clothes back into place, positioning his beloved cap so that his crown was now visible, annoying the prince who would rather hide the gaudy symbol beneath the green fabric. The door opened, and with a stern look from his mother, Link stepped out to meet Princess Zelda once again.


End file.
